June 2022

Thursday 30th

Beddington Farmlands: 2 Green Sandpipers (Z Pannifer).

Glebe Lake: 2 Little Ringed Plovers flew south (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: Common Sandpiper (C Dewhurst/S Englund).

Tadworth: Quail singing in poppy field by Round Wood (BirdGuides).

Thursley Common: Redshank flew east (E Stubbs).

Wednesday 29th

Hog’s Back: Curlew flew south between Seale and Puttenham at 07:25 (J Gates).

London Wetland Centre: 3 Black-tailed Godwits on Main Lake; also Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpipers (W Newnham/M Parker/M Wheeler).

Tadworth: Quail singing in poppy field by Round Wood (C Albanese/E Sames).

Tuesday

… Read more

5km bird race challenge

On Saturday [7 May] a Surrey 5 km bird race challenge took place. The idea of the challenge was for teams of birders to see how many species they could record within a 5 km radius of their home or patch. Emphasis was on going as green as possible (i.e. car sharing, using a bike etc) and a finish time of 18:00 was agreed.

In total 19 teams or individuals entered, with the combined species total across the county an impressive 121. The winning team scored 98, with two teams finishing joint-second with 91. A variety of excellent birds were … Read more

May 2022

Tuesday 31st

London Wetland Centre: 2 Oystercatchers (WWT).

Monday 30th

London Wetland Centre: Little Ringed Plover (WWT).

Sunday 29th

Holmethorpe SP: Little Ringed Plover (N Hadden/G Hay).

Tice’s Meadow: adult Spoonbill in The Workings mid-morning until c.19:06 when flew south-east (R Horton/many observers).

Saturday 28th

Ash Ranges: singing Wood Warbler (J Evans).

London Wetland Centre: Redshank (WWT).

Friday 27th

Frensham Great Pond: Oystercatcher (N Trout).

Netley Heath: 20 Crossbills (M Kettell).

Tice’s Meadow: Oystercatcher (K Duncan).

Thursday 26th

Tice’s Meadow: Dunlin and Ringed Plover (J Hunt).

Wednesday 25th

Leith Hill… Read more

BBRC decisions: 1/4/2022

Two Surrey records of national rarities have been accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee in the latest batch of decisions.

The Black Stork at Thursley Common on 27 May 2021, found by J Mullin, has been accepted. This record represents the fourth for the vice-county and first in 13 years. Also accepted was a first-winter female Two-barred Crossbill, trapped and ringed by J Gates at Crooksbury Common on 17 March 2021. This bird constitutes the fifth Surrey record and first since 2014.

A further three vice-county records are still in circulation, while two 2021 submissions were deemed not proven.

April 2022

Saturday 30th

Beddington Farmlands: Great Egret, Wheatear, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and 2 Green Sandpipers (A Harding/Z Pannifer).

Hedgecourt Lake: Common Sandpiper (D Dack).

Holmethorpe SP: Common Sandpiper (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: Common Sandpiper (WWT).

Richmond Park: drake Red-crested Pochard (B Young).

Rotherhithe: 6 Shelduck (G Wright).

Thursley Common: Wheatear on Shrike Hill (D & P Boyd).

Friday 29th

Yellow Wagtail, Mercers CP (G Hay).
Yellow Wagtail, Mercers CP (G Hay).

Beddington Farmlands: Stone-curlew flushed from enclosed lagoons then flew towards 100-Acre c.08:50; also Avocet on enclosed lagoons, Wood Sandpiper on Wet Grassland, Little Gull south-east … Read more

5 km bird race challenge

On Saturday 7th May [2022] a 5 km bird race challenge is taking place in Surrey.

The idea is to bird within a 5 km radius of either your home or patch, with participation as relaxed or full-on as you’d like. Several teams and individuals have already entered and further entries are most welcome. If you’d like to find out more or enter as a team or individual then please drop an email to sightings@surreybirdclub.org.uk.

March 2022

Thursday 31st

Great Egrets, Enton Lakes (E Stubbs).
Great Egrets, Enton Lakes (E Stubbs).

Beddington Farmlands: 6 Water Pipits, 3 Jack Snipe, 8 Green Sandpipers and 7 Shelduck (A Dutta/A Ramesh).

Enton Lakes: 2 Great Egrets flew north-east (E Stubbs).

Hankley Common: male Brambling (J Snell).

Holmethorpe SP: 2 Little Ringed Plovers flew east through Spyne’s Mere; also Swallow (G Hay).

London Wetland Centre: 2 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, Shelduck and 2 Bramblings (C Dewhurst).

Thursley Common: 2 Crossbills and Brambling (D Brassington).

Wednesday 30th

Mediterranean Gull, Island Barn Reservoir (D Harris).
Mediterranean Gull, Island Barn Reservoir (D Harris).

Beddington Farmlands: Swallow flew over South Lake (D … Read more

February 2022

Monday 28th

Water Pipit, London Wetland Centre (J Klavins).
Water Pipit, London Wetland Centre (J Klavins).

London Wetland Centre: Redshank, 2 Water Pipits and 3 Shelduck (J Klavins).

Reigate: female Ring-necked Duck on Priory Pond (D Harris).

Reigate Heath: 80+ Bramblings to north in crops along Clifton’s Lane (S Brownhill).

Tice’s Meadow: Ringed Plover in flight over Workings (J Hunt).

Sunday 27th

Beddington Farmlands: 1st-winter Caspian Gull, 5 Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, 6 Shelduck and 3 Green Sandpipers (N Gardner).

Crooksbury Common: 5 Crossbills (M Fincham).

Effingham Forest: Brambling at Dick Focks Common (A Bayly/J Sigrist).

Henley Park Ranges: … Read more

January 2022

Monday 31st

Bramblings, Reigate Heath (C Lodge).
Bramblings, Reigate Heath (C Lodge).

London Wetland Centre: Bittern, Water Pipit, Pintail, Goldeneye and Jack Snipe (WWT).

Reigate: female Ring-necked Duck on Priory Pond (M Fincham).

Reigate Heath: 800 Bramblings to north in crops along Clifton’s Lane (J Cutting/C Lodge/M Fincham/T Smith).

Thorpe Park: drake Ferruginous Duck and female Scaup on Manor Lake (D Bookless/A Self).

Sunday 30th

White-fronted Goose, Westcott (J Snell).
White-fronted Goose, Westcott (J Snell).

Beddington Farmlands: 11 Jack Snipe, 2nd-winter Caspian Gull, 2 Shelduck, 3 Water Pipits and 5 Green Sandpipers (N Gardner/Z Pannifer/D Warren).

Effingham Forest: 2 Hawfinches, 2 Crossbills and 5 … Read more

December 2021

Friday 31st

Smew, Thorpe Park (E Stubbs).
Smew, Thorpe Park (E Stubbs).

Beddington Farmlands: Shelduck (D Warren).

Hurst Green: Brambling at Whitegates Farm (K Puttock).

Leatherhead: 3 drake and 1 female Goosander on River Mole (R Iredale).

London Wetland Centre: Oystercatcher, Bittern, 2 Water Pipits, 3 Jack Snipe, Goldeneye and 2 Pintail (A Salmon).

Pennymead Lake: 3 Goosander (S Chastell).

Richmond Park: Dartford Warbler on slope from car park to Pen Ponds (P Spencer).

Thorpe Park: 1st-winter drake Smew on fishing lake at Abbey Mead; also female Scaup on Abbey and Manor Lakes and 3 drake Goldeneye on … Read more